Whirlwind

The Last Day

June 7th, 12 PM

It was the last day of school. Ever. I was shocked I passed my exams so well but I did it.

"Hey baby," Ruby walked up right next to me as I walked down the hall to my locker, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and kissed the top of my head.

"Hey," I smiled, "you coming over?"

"Absolutely."

After prom, I moved back home with my mom, it was so nice being in my own room again. Being with my family again. Not having my dad around was like a breath of fresh air and I loved it. I got to spend time and strengthen my relationship with my mom and siblings. It was just what I needed.

Ruby held the door open to his car for me and I climbed into the passenger seat setting my bag down between my legs. I sighed as I closed my eyes and smiled, enjoying the last moments of my high school career.

Then, my phone started to ring, breaking me from my relaxation. It was my dad. I ignored it. He wasn't going to get the chance to ruin my last day.

Ruby hopped in the driver seat.

"You okay babe?"

I smiled at him, "perfect."

2 PM

Ruby and I were sat on the balcony together, sharing a joint and enjoying each other's company.

"Hey kids, Ruby can I have a minute with Parker?" My mom was at the door.

"Of course," Ruby got up and went downstairs to play with Noah.

"What's going on, momma?" She rarely ever asks to speak alone so I knew it was serious when she wouldn't say it in front of Ruby.

"Your father has called me every day since the last time I visited him. He wouldn't stop. So today, I decided to pick up." The tears started rolling down her cheeks. "They are letting him out."

I felt like my heart had stopped. I felt like I couldn't breathe. They were letting him out of prison?

"Wh- How? They had so many things to pin him with."

Her tears started flowing faster.

"What is it, mom?"

"He gave him the names involved with Ace's death."

I was hyperventilating. I couldn't catch my breath. He straight-up ratted us out.

3:30 PM

I had told Ruby everything and he had called his dad to try and get us out of it but there was nothing he could do. I called Octavia and Brooks and told them the situation, at this point, there was nothing we could do. We knew we only had hours before we were arrested.

We sat around the table, drinking coffee, awaiting the dreaded knock on the door.

"I knew this would come back and bite us," Octavia said as she took another sip of her coffee. "I am sorry I dragged you all in this."

"Hey, I wouldn't have let you do it without me," Brooks rubbed her back, comforting her, "plus I would have done it myself anyway."

"Octavia," I placed my hand on hers and she looked me in the eye, "we all decided to do this, you didn't drag us into anything."

She gave me a half smile to tell me she appreciated my comfort but she still blamed herself. It was written all over her face. She blamed herself for ever loving him and involving him in her life and killing him. She told me she felt guilty for taking away a member of my family.

But he wasn't.

He was nothing to me and he never was. Just because we by chance shared blood, did not make him family. He was an awful person and it disgusted me to know we shared DNA.

"Octavia,"

"Hmm," she was staring into her coffee.

"He meant nothing to me,"

"But, he was your-,"

"He was nothing. He was an awful human being. We shared blood but that didn't make us family. You have to stop blaming yourself."

She didn't look up at me but I could tell it got through to her. Her body was less tense and now was only the stress of what was to come next.

5 PM

There it was, the dreaded knock at the door we had all been waiting for. All of us around the table tensed almost in unison. We didn't know what to expect, were they going to bust in and arrest us all?

Take us in to interrogate us?

Or maybe I was the only one my father threw under the bus.

After all he hated me the most.

The suspense was awful, I feel like everything in that moment slowed, watching my mom walk to the door and pull it open.

Felt like it took ten years.

Her face was in shock when she saw who was behind the door.

Here goes, everything.

"Miss me?"

That voice, the deep tone rang in my ears as I realized who it was he stepped into the house and wrapped my mom up in his arms.

It was my dad.

Before I realized what was happening I felt the sharp pain jolting through my head and body. I woke up to Ruby leaning over me and everyone else standing above me.

"Oh god," I said rubbing my forehead as Ruby helped me sit up, pain was throbbing through my head.

"Baby, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so, my head is throbbing,"

I heard a chuckle from the living room. A deep chuckle that told me he liked the impact on me from his presence.

"You seem excited to see me,"

I looked over at him as my mom helped me onto the couch across from him. He was wearing a menacing smirk and reading the paper. He was acting like everything was normal as if his family was still accepting of him.

"You really think you can just come back in here and be accepted with open arms?"

"Parker, he is your father," my mom chimed in as she was standing there clearly uncomfortable.

"And he is your husband. Whom you left because he went to prison. Remember?"

She didn't say anything.

"Oh the details don't matter, I'm back now."

I looked at him and back towards my mom. Brooks and Octavia were still sitting at the island in the kitchen watching everything unfold and Ruby was sitting next to me. The twins had been over at a playdate and still weren't home yet and Noah was down for a nap which made it less stressful to hash things out with my father right now.

"I am not staying here if he is."

"Parker, please."

"No Mom, don't go back on your word, you left him, he is a criminal, don't let Theo, Josie, and Noah grow up with him. He is not himself anymore."

She didn't say anything but I knew she understood what I meant. And she knew I was right.

"Tobias, you need to leave."

"You're going to pick your daughter over me? I am your husband."

"You have not been my husband for over a year. Get out of my house."